Number of people with gambling problems rises in Ontario

After online casinos were legalized in Canada's province of Ontario in 2022, the number of people reporting gambling-related harm has risen. About 130,000 people in the province show signs of problem gambling. In 2018, that figure was 43,000.

The estimate comes from a sample based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI). In the provincial breakdown, Ontario ranks first with 129,736 people. Quebec follows with 45,255 and Alberta with 40,197. Alberta has only just launched its private iGaming market model, and AGRI's Ontario data suggests that the figures there could also rise over time.

AGRI researcher Carrie Shaw said that while Ontario has seen an increase, the number has fallen in other parts of Canada. According to Shaw, barriers to access disappear entirely with online gambling. People can play at any hour of the day on a computer or phone, even at a desk at work.

Matthew Young, chief research officer at the nonprofit Greo Evidence Insights, is also concerned about the rates. He said he has long argued that more needs to be done to protect consumers. He added that some of the harm seen in the research had been raised before.

Young strongly opposes the broad legalization process in Canada, as seen in Ontario and Alberta. In his view, provincial governments legalized gambling without adequately examining the public health impact of their decisions.